


Rubatosis

by theorchidhorror



Category: Prey (Video Game 2017)
Genre: Gen, Gender Neutral Morgan, One Shot, space the final frontier- wait
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 19:09:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11319786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theorchidhorror/pseuds/theorchidhorror
Summary: Morgan floats along in space and comes across a rather unfortunate companion.





	Rubatosis

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted work from my tumblr. As always, feel free to send me prompts either here or my blogs!
> 
> _Rubatosis: The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat._
> 
> Also intended to be part of PreyWeek, as hosted on tumblr by morganyuprey

There’s nothing. 

Out in the blackness of space, removed from the fortress that is Talos and from the comforts of their office- there is nothing.

At times like these, Morgan hoped that fact would be more comforting than it’s proving to be. Nothing means no chaos from the station as it fails, no overwhelming pressure from January or Alex or anyone else who’s been puppeteering them along since this whole thing started. And ideally, no typhon.

But here, in the vacuum of space, Morgan Yu is forced to come to terms with the fact that, despite everything, the typhon persist. 

Morgan can see it now- just off in the distance. A black mass of writhing tentacle like protrusions floating closer and closer to where Morgan is. With a deep, pained breath, Morgan reaches for the pistol at their side and grips it tightly. An encounter with the Typhon just half an hour ago left them bruised, beaten and- worst of all, critically low on ammo. By their count, they only have a few bullets, a recycler charge, and the wrench left to work with; and while those would be more than enough on a good day, the shooting pain that blazes through Morgan’s chest with every breath reminds them that this is not a good day. One good hit and they’re likely to end up like countless others of the Talos crew- floating, dead, and orbiting a space station shaped tomb for the rest of eternity.

No, they’ll have to hide.

The typhon edges closer still, and Morgan looks around desperately for somewhere to hide till it passes.  _ There _ . A shipping container, just large enough to squeeze into, is hovering a few yards to their left. Morgan throttles the thrust of their suit- just enough to propel themself forward without attracting the attention of the typhon, and dives towards the container. 

Morgan’s barely had time to crawl inside before the black mass is drifting- inching, by their hiding spot. Morgan is almost surprised by how slowly the large thing moves; they’ve seen the speeds the typhon are capable of, even the larger, bulkier ones are quicker than you’d think. But the one just in front of Morgan is glacial, and appears to be scanning the area as it moves. It almost feels… like the typhon is searching for them. It must have caught a glimpse of Morgan as they fled- not enough of a good look to attack, but certainly enough to warrant a search around the immediate area.

Morgan freezes within the container, squeezing their eyes shut as they ball their hands into tight balls. If they can effectively become invisible, the typhon will leave, and Morgan will be free to go about their business. They crack an eye open and wait.

Morgan watches, unblinking, as the typhon scans the area. Every breath they draw feels like a thousand knives and every pounding beat of their heart echoes within the helmet- Morgan swears, almost loud enough for the entirety of Talos to hear. The only sound as Morgan waits for their inevitable doom is the deep, rapid beating of their heart- like a war drum, beckoning the typhon to their hiding spot. The tentacles of the typhon move and flick in sync with Morgan’s heartbeat, as a ballerina spins and bends in time with her music, and it almost feels as if the typhon is mocking them.

For a solid minute, Morgan waits. For a full sixty seconds, Morgan sits, unmoving and very nearly not breathing, as the typhon floats around looking for them. The thought crosses them that they could very well try to fight their way out- but the sharp stinging in their chest reminds them, rather insistently, that fighting isn’t an option. 

It feels like ages but finally, the typhon moves on, seemingly giving up on the search for them. Morgan releases a sharp breath of relief, not caring for the pain it causes them. Maybe they should be worried- wary of a surprise attack, or of something nastier lurking nearby, but Morgan can’t take the chance of hiding here much longer. They need a medical operator- and soon.

“Morgan.” January’s mechanized voice crackles suddenly into Morgan’s ear, sending their already elevated heart rate skyrocketing. With a startled yelp they clutch a gloved hand to their chest, and can feel the pounding of their heart through the thick fabric of the suit. “If you’re finished, I’ve got something for you that needs immediate attention. You’ll need to head back to your office when you can.”

Naturally. 

Morgan takes a minute, steading their breathing as best they can. It’s a bit of a trip from where they are to their office, and Morgan is likely to run into more typhon on the way. If they’re lucky, the rest of their run-ins will go as smoothly as this one. And if not- well… If not, at least Morgan won’t need to find an operator.


End file.
